Neurobehavioral effects of acute styrene exposure in fiberglass boatbuilders
- Mount Sinai School of Medicine, New York, NY (USA)
A field investigation of the effects of acute exposure to styrene among fiberglass boatbuilders was performed. Personal samples of styrene in breathing zone air and postshift urinary mandelic acid were collected for 105 workers exposed and not exposed to styrene in 6 fiberglass boatbuilding companies in New England. Three tests from the computerized Neurobehavioral Evaluation System (NES) were performed by the subjects in the morning before exposure to styrene, near midday, and at the end of the work day. Duration of exposure averaged 2.9 years (SD = 4.6), 8-hour TWA styrene exposure averaged 29.9 ppm (SD = 36.2), and urinary mandelic acid averaged 347 mg/g creatinine (SD = 465). Regression analyses indicated a statistically significant relationship between postshift performance on the Symbol-Digit test and both acute styrene exposure and mandelic acid. Other analyses comparing workers exposed to less than 50 ppm and greater than 50 ppm styrene also showed a significant effect on Symbol-Digit performance. All three NES tests showed test-retest correlation coefficients above .80, and ease of use for collection of neurobehavioral data under field conditions was demonstrated.
- OSTI ID:
- 6166328
- Journal Information:
- Neurotoxicology and Teratology; (USA), Journal Name: Neurotoxicology and Teratology; (USA) Vol. 12:6; ISSN 0892-0362; ISSN NETEE
- Country of Publication:
- United States
- Language:
- English
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Related Subjects
63 RADIATION, THERMAL, AND OTHER ENVIRON. POLLUTANT EFFECTS ON LIVING ORGS. AND BIOL. MAT.
ACUTE EXPOSURE
ALKYLATED AROMATICS
AROMATICS
HAZARDS
HEALTH HAZARDS
HYDROCARBONS
LEARNING
MATHEMATICS
NERVOUS SYSTEM
OCCUPATIONAL EXPOSURE
ORGANIC COMPOUNDS
PERSONNEL
REGRESSION ANALYSIS
SENSITIVITY
STATISTICS
STYRENE